Lots of Questions/Asking For Advice

[FireInTheSky]

Hey everyone, I have several questions. For certain questions pertaining to my college search, I am a Texas resident from a low-income family.

So I'm considering pre-medicine and a major of some sort, of course, as my options for college, and I have been for a while, but I have a few questions. In Texas, what colleges have better pre-medicine advising programs and better science/math classes? Additionally, what would it take to get into some of the schools I am looking for and get scholarships possibly? In-state: Rice University, Baylor University, and if neither of those work out the University of Texas. I am also considering applying to a few out-of-state dream schools (Vanderbilt and Emory), so what advice/opinions could anyone give me there? What types of grades, standardized test scores, and extracurriculars will look best when applying? Also, what are the pros and cons of a small vs. large campus? I am an introvert with little interest in partying, and I plan to be focused on my goals. What research opportunities and things like that will be available to me at a small or large campus?

I am also still considering if medicine is right for me. I know that I don't have to know just yet, but I like to plan ahead of time so that I can make informed decisions when I actually have to apply to college. I'm introverted and I prefer not to talk all the time. Will this be a problem? I can communicate well, though I have a disorder that makes my speech somewhat difficult to understand. Will this hinder my ability to get into medical school and succeed later on? I also have poor manual dexterity and prefer to work with my brain more than my hands, though I do enjoy tactile experiences often, I'm just not coordinated and my dexterity is awful.

I will probably think of more questions eventually, but these are mostly what I am worried about now, due to the fact I'm starting to seriously consider where I'm going to go after I graduate, so my main considerations are going into succeeding now and getting into the right college for me later.​

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[AttemptingScholar]

Hello, and welcome to SDN. I can't talk about Texas in particular, but I can help with some things.

1. Rice University and Baylor University are private schools. The instate-out-of-state distinction is really only for public schools.
2. Apply and see if you get a scholarship. There is no way to know until they offer it.
3. Good GPA and good test scores look good. All schools post their averages. Most people do dedicated studying specifically for standardized tests. Buy a book, do the practice tests.
4. In general, schools with an associated med school have better premed advising.
5. Four-year-colleges don't really have 'better' sciences or maths than others. Once you get to college, just pay attention to what teachers in those disciplines are good.
6. Other things to consider when choosing a college:
-Is it near a hospital or clinic for you to volunteer at?
-Can students easily participate in research?
-Does it fit my learning style (semester vs quarter, large vs small, urban vs rural)?
7. People who know in high school they only want to be doctors are rarely doctors. Not knowing shows forethought and introspection. Shadow doctors to help you decide if you really want to.
8. Being an introvert is not a problem. Not talking for large chunks of the day might be. Speech disorders should not be.
9. Work on dexterity skills. Even if you don't become a surgeon, you'll have to do a surgery rotation.
10. To both the "I'm shy" and "I'm not dexterous" it's completely fine right now, but now that you've identified that problem it is your job to improve upon them. See if your school has public speaking/origami/jewelry/crafts classes or clubs. It's 100% a practice thing
11. I like a large campus. I don't feel boxed in and am able to have multiple friends groups that don't interact. There are more opportunities to have teachers I like, clubs I'm interested in, or do research. My brother likes a small campus. He has a lot of really close friends that all share interests. He got to know his teachers better.
12. Take the PSAT if you've studied for it. The NMSQT is the best place to start for scholarships.
13. Ask for letters of rec the spring of your junior year.
14. Take hard classes. Struggle. Many premeds and med students don't know how to deal with academic challenges. That's a skill to practice.
15. Never attend a for-profit school or a school outside of the United States+Puerto Rico (unless you intend to practice medicine in that country)

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Hello, and welcome to SDN. I can't talk about Texas in particular, but I can help with some things.

1. Rice University and Baylor University are private schools. The instate-out-of-state distinction is really only for public schools.
2. Apply and see if you get a scholarship. There is no way to know until they offer it.
3. Good GPA and good test scores look good. All schools post their averages. Most people do dedicated studying specifically for standardized tests. By a book, do the practice tests.
4. In general, schools with an associated med school have better premed advising.
5. Four-year-colleges don't really have 'better' sciences or maths than others. Once you get to college, just pay attention to what teachers in those disciplines are good.
6. Other things to consider when choosing a college:
-Is it near a hospital or clinic for you to volunteer at?
-Can students easily participate in research?
-Does it fit my learning style (semester vs quarter, large vs small, urban vs rural)?
7. People who know in high school they only want to be doctors are rarely doctors. Not knowing shows forethought and introspection. Shadow doctors to help you decide if you really want to.
8. Being an introvert is not a probably. Not talking for large chunks of the day might be. Speech disorders should not be.
9. Work on dexterity skills. Even if you don't become a surgeon, you'll have to do a surgery rotation.
10. To both the "I'm shy" and "I'm not dexterous" it's completely fine right now, but now that you've identified that problem it is your jobs to improve upon them. See if your school has public speaking/origami/jewelry/crafts classes or clubs. It's 100% a practice thing
11. I like a large campus. I don't feel boxed in and am able to have multiple friends groups that don't interact. There are more opportunities to have teachers I like, clubs I'm interested in, or do research. My brother likes a small campus. He has a lot of really close friends that all share interests. He got to know his teachers better.
12. Take the PSAT if you've studied for it. The NMSQT is the best place to start for scholarships.
13. Ask for letters of rec the spring of your junior year.
14. Take hard classes. Struggle. Many premeds and med students don't know how to deal with academic challenges. That's a skill to practice.
15. Never attend a for-profit school or a school outside of the United States+Puerto Rico (unless you intend to practice medicine in that country)

Plus:
16. In high school, extracurriculars should show a well-rounded individual who has multiple, time-consuming interests. They should show a multi-year time commitment, leadership, and creativity.
17. Once you graduate high school, the pre-MD forum has a lot on what ECs to do in college. Don't worry about it for now.

 

[grapp]

I could not have anything better myself.